Larry has served time for the possession, manufacturing, and intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. As a three time career felon, he would have faced a 25 year sentence in court. Instead, he has been allowed a chance at completing the ICWC one year program coupled with three years of supervised probation. He has also been told that if he is successful that he can go back to court and request the additional years of parole be dropped. Despite 23 years of drug abuse, he has never faced treatment before, just incarceration. At the time of the interview, Larry had been at ICWC for five weeks.

Q: How did you get to ICWC?

I am not getting nothing out of jail but being warehoused. Here, I can learn how to be more productive, be a member of society. This can help me to situate, to realize why I am following the same pattern- something that kept making me go backwards. Jail can’t help you there. So I wrote a letter to the judge [for a court stipulated treatment option] and he took it into consideration. They noticed I had a pattern of drug charges.

“I wanted the easy way out, but for real… that was the hard way.”

Q: How did you start using drugs?

I was 13 years old. I knew about drugs when I was eight or nine years old. I really involved myself around 18-20 years. I’m 36 on the 25 th of July. From 13 to 36… It’s like I grew up before my time. I always had this sick desire to be a dealer and then when I knew what it was I didn’t want it. You have to be careful what you ask for.

My pleasure, my fun was based around that- getting high- not playing sports, my family, I forgot how to have fun. I wanted the easy way out, but for real… that was the hard way. But I was accustomed to it. You won’t work for minimum wage here, but you’ll work for free in prison?? You have to reprogram yourself to do things differently.

That thought gets in your head, “I know how to get it faster.” That comes from lack of faith- not having God in your life. If you had God in your life you would have the patience to get what you need. Keep God in your life spiritually and everything else will follow.

Q: How do you like treatment?

Whatever it is that I’m doing here, I want to keep doing at home, in terms of staying with my family, working, I am glad I came here because it made me a better person. Without knowledge you can’t gain no wisdom.

I’m willing to get a job and just keep that job. When I had a job I had peace. With my job I would go home to be with my family. I thought it was boring. But for real- that’s what’s up! That’s what’s happening.

I’d rather have peace within myself than all the riches of the world; that’s the only way to be free.

Q: If you were a policymaker- what would be the first thing you would do?

I would eliminate the drugs.